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Thank you for your interest in International Space Station Research. This blog has been retired, but archives are being kept online for historical purposes. For the latest ISS Research news, follow us on Twitter, check out our news page, or sign up to receive our updates via email. Are you interested in sending your science to space? Visit our Opportunities page to learn more.
Frank Bauer celebrated for ham radio, STEM outreach
The Dayton Hamvention, the largest amateur radio convention in the United States, has selected ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer to receive the 2017 Amateur of the Year Award.
Bauer served at NASA for more than 35 years before retiring as the Chief Engineer for Exploration at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. in September 2011. He has supported ISS Ham Radio (ARISS) since its inception and before that, the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX).
"Regarding ISS Ham radio, I am most proud of two things: The phenomenal STEM Education and Human Spaceflight outreach that our program instills in students and the general public and our worldwide volunteer team who have been instrumental in making this happen," said Bauer.
Bauer receives this award for his well-cited aerospace GPS research, his work on a re-transmission system that gave access to tens of thousands of ham operators to live space shuttle communications and his outstanding dedication to ham radio education in space.
The International Space Station Ham Radio was the first operational payload aboard the station, turned on less than two weeks after Expedition 1 arrived. It has been on ever since, making contact with nearly 1,100 schools.
Science in Short: Cool Flames
This CFI test point video shows a 4-mm dodecane fuel droplet. Once the camera light goes out, the needles simultaneously snap away from the droplet leaving it free-floating. The hot-wire igniters ignite the droplet and the test point begins. The droplet burns with a hot flame that is dim blue. The hot flame oscillates once then extinguishes. The burn continues with a cool flame, or low temperature combustion. Since cool flames are much dimmer than hot flames, you can only see the fuel droplet get smaller as it continues to burn. The fuel droplet eventually disappears as all of it is consumed by the burn.
Since a cool flame burns only a fraction of the fuel vaporized from the droplet, a large vapor cloud begins to form. On the ground, this fuel vapor would be quickly dispersed by the buoyant flow caused by the heated gases. In space, however, the fuel vapor stays in the vicinity, accumulates and recondenses. The vapor cloud could likely stay there for hours if not days or more in space! The possibility that areas with little air flow could have recondensation is a new item to consider in spacecraft fire safety, and will be considered by expert teams as the phenomenon is better defined by this experiment.
Understanding how cool flames behave without the influence of gravity could lead to developing vehicles that experience less wear on engine parts, get better gas mileage, and create less pollution.
Sharon Reinke
Fluids & Combustion Facility (FCF) Operations Engineer
Remembering Piers Sellers: scientist, astronaut and friend
When scientist and former astronaut Piers Sellers was a child in the United Kingdom, Apollo missions inspired him to dream of coming to the United States to work at NASA. He fulfilled that childhood dream when he began his climate research at NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in 1982, launching a career at the space agency that spanned more than three decades. Sellers passed away at the age of 61 on Dec. 23, 2016, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
During his time at NASA, Sellers served as a scientist studying climate change at Goddard before being selected into the astronaut corps in 1996. As an astronaut, he flew to the International Space Station in 2002 (STS-112), 2006 (STS-121) and 2010 (STS-132), where he carried out six spacewalks during the assembly of the orbiting laboratory. The vantage point of space gave him a deeper appreciation for Earth's fragility, and strengthened his passion for studying climate change and sharing his knowledge on the subject with audiences around the world.
In a New York Times opinion piece in 2016, Sellers wrote:
As an astronaut, I spacewalked 220 miles above the Earth. Floating alongside the International Space Station, I watched hurricanes cartwheel across oceans, the Amazon snake its way to the sea through a brilliant green carpet of forest, and gigantic nighttime thunderstorms flash and flare for hundreds of miles along the Equator. From this God's-eye-view, I saw how fragile and infinitely precious the Earth is. I'm hopeful for its future.
Sellers published more than 70 papers, 30 of them as first author, and served as Project Scientist for the first large Earth Observing System platform, Terra, which launched in 1998. He worked on global climate problems, particularly those involving interactions between the biosphere and the atmosphere, and was involved in constructing computer models of the global climate system, satellite data interpretation and conducting large-scale field experiments in the United States, Canada, Africa and Brazil. After serving in the astronaut corps, Sellers returned to Goddard and was named Deputy Director of Sciences and Exploration. He was deeply interested in the role of science in the future development of human society, particularly with regard to global environmental issues and associated economic and political issues. He was also seeking funding for a new Earth science instrument concept for the space station.
I remember talking with Piers about the difficulties scientists have in communicating complex concepts and the caveats and limitations we are all trained to provide—while still being simple and accessible. Some at the agency have viewed "science" and "human spaceflight" as separate independent efforts. Piers and I shared the alternate view that science is the only way we can understand what we observe as humans explore—that the two efforts were tightly linked. Apollo led to a new view of the Earth as isolated and fragile, and was important in leading the agency to have an Earth Sciences program with all the satellites being operated today. We both shared great satisfaction as ISS matured to have Earth Science instruments that were enhancements and technology demonstrations to help us better understand the Earth and its climate.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wrote of Sellers' passing:
Today we lost a tremendous public servant who was dedicated to NASA, the nation and the world. He was a strident defender and eloquent spokesperson for our home planet, Earth. Spacewalker and scientist, free thinker and friend to our planet, and all who seek new knowledge, to say he will be missed would be a gross understatement.
Science in Short: Gravity as a Research Field
From the position of the International Space Station, it's not always easy to consider the implications of gravity as a continuum, but society meetings like the recent American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) in Cleveland help bring that into focus. Gravity isn't just on or off, and it can be easy to forget that the space station is not the only place to go if you need a little microgravity.
Solutions for simulated microgravity like High Aspect Ratio Vessels (HARVs), clinostats and random positioning machines exist to confuse the gravity vector. Magnetic levitation can balance the gravitational force for small, water-containing objects. Short durations of 2-6 seconds can be achieved through drop tower experiments. Up to 20 seconds of microgravity can be accessed through parabolic flight, and new commercial and sounding rockets can deliver 2-6 minutes of microgravity exposure. These methods provide the tools to explore various levels of microgravity, and when you add in the laboratory centrifuge, we can even explore the effects of hypergravity.
Dr. Mark Weislogel's opening talk at ASGSR gave us great insights into the behaviors of fluids and fluid/surface interactions that you can achieve in just two seconds of microgravity. Non-intuitive behaviors that provide the building blocks for ideas, inventions, and for applications that need to be proven, need exposure to the long-duration microgravity environment on the space station. In the realm of space biology, we see genetic changes – differential gene expression – that occur in the first few seconds of exposure to microgravity, yet comparisons between long-duration space station exposure and simulated or short-duration micro-gravity exposure show some of these changes overlap and some do not. Clearly there is more going on here that we do not understand at this time.
To be successful interplanetary explorers, we need to be able to know what will happen to our physiology and systems as we transition from one to zero to 1/6 or 1/3 Gs, and back again. Knowledge of gravity as a continuum is a must. On the ground, we can explore aspects of this through magnetic levitation and centrifugation. Hypergravity studies on the ground are pointing
to interesting effects that we may need investigate further in microgravity, like glucose metabolism effects.
A healthy research community is using all of these tools to investigate gravity and better prepare us to make the most of our space station research. Our success in helping humanity explore the solar system is built on their research successes, not only in space but in research labs across the world.
Kirt Costello, PhD
Deputy Chief Scientist for the International Space Station
Downlink with NIH Director Highlights Research from DNA Sequencing to Heart Cells
Dr. Francis Collins led the effort to map the human genome here on Earth, and he recently spoke with Kate Rubins, the first person to sequence DNA in space, as she floated aboard Earth's only orbiting laboratory. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, connected with Rubins in a downlink that was live-streamed on the International Space Station's Facebook page, and the pair of scientists discussed advances in microgravity research. Here are some of the highlights from their conversation, and a link to a video of the entire event below.
Rubins discussed the recent sequencing of DNA as part of the Biomolecule Sequencer investigation.
"This was truly an experiment in all senses of the word. We did not know if it was going to work." #AstroKate on DNA sequencing. #SpaceChat pic.twitter.com/wHKMZVpzgp
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Collins pointed out that the MinION device Rubins used to sequence DNA in space is much smaller than similar tools used on Earth.
"We need to get machines to be compact, portable, robust, independent of much power generation." #AstroKate on device used to sequence DNA. pic.twitter.com/QsTQIQuGSc
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Rubins shared how DNA sequencing might be used in future deep-space mission.
#AstroKate describes how DNA sequencing could be used in future space travel. #SpaceChat #genomics pic.twitter.com/I9CStWtC9n
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Rubins also highlighted how the space station serves as a test bed for troubleshooting technologies needed to advance human space exploration.
#AstroKate describes how @ISS_Research is helping us troubleshoot technologies for future deep-space missions. #SpaceChat pic.twitter.com/Azr55oiQdX
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Is it possible to get the flu in space? Rubins shared how crew members stay healthy aboard the space station.
Is it possible to get the flu on the @Space_Station? #AstroKate shares how crew members stay healthy. #SpaceChat pic.twitter.com/Xh9ZxwcZcp
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Rubins and Collins also discussed the how the unique environment of the orbiting laboratory serves as the perfect place to study and develop countermeasures for deep-space exploration.
What can we learn about the effects of radiation on humans in space? #AstroKate discusses with #NIHDirector during #SpaceChat pic.twitter.com/1yZP30mMVQ
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Rubins is a microbiologist with a vast background in virology and research, so it wasn't surprising to learn that some of the personal items she brought were extra tools to help her conduct science in her spare time.
What laboratory tool did microbiologist #AstroKate pack in her personal allotment to @Space_Station & how has @ISS_Research surprised her? pic.twitter.com/hCBisvFMhY
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
Rubins and Collins wrapped up their conversation with advice for young people who are interested in science and improving the world around them.
#AstroKate & @NIHDirector's advice to young people: stay fascinated & passionate. It's a great time to be in #science and #STEM careers! pic.twitter.com/FRS44hLJHZ
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) October 18, 2016
NIH has sponsored many investigations aboard the space station, including T-Cell Activation in Aging, OsteoOmics, Osteo-4, and a recently announced funding opportunity for Tissue Chips in Space. Additionally, NIH has funded work on the Nell-1 molecule for rebuilding bone that will also be used in the RR-5 mission.
View the entire interview here:
Science in Short: Eli Lilly-Hard to Wet Surfaces
A few weeks ago I talked about an innovative applied research experiment being done aboard the International Space Station for Eli Lilly. They are interested in the process by which tablets dissolve, since this can be a problem for helping patients get the dose of medicine they need. Because microgravity allows study of diffusion without buoyancy or density-driven convection, these processes can be slower, allowing for better visualization and mathematical modeling.
The PIs of this experiment have allowed us to share the early visual results from their ISS experiment. In the image above, you can see an example of a significant gel interface that formed between the tablet and the solution which was not observed to the same extent on Earth. The ground controls are pending, but based on preliminary results, the rate of dissolution was significantly longer in the microgravity experiment, an unexpected and interesting result.
In chemistry, wetting refers to spreading of a liquid over a solid material's surface, and is a key aspect of the material's ability to dissolve. This investigation studies how certain materials used in the pharmaceutical industry dissolve in water while in microgravity. Results from this investigation could help improve the design of tablets that dissolve in the body to deliver drugs, thereby improving drug design for medicines used in space and on Earth.
Science in Short: One Billion Base Pairs Sequenced
When NASA astronaut Kate Rubins' expedition began, zero base pairs of DNA had been sequenced in space. Within just a few weeks, she and the Biomolecule Sequencer team had sequenced their one billionth base of DNA aboard the orbiting laboratory.
"I [have a] genomics background, [so] I get really excited about that kind of stuff," Rubins said in a downlink shortly after reaching the one billion base pairs sequenced goal.
The Biomolecule Sequencer investigation seeks to demonstrate that DNA sequencing in microgravity is possible, and adds to the suite of genomics capabilities aboard the space station. Facilities like WetLab-2, miniPCR and Biomolecule Sequencer will expand opportunities for scientists to utilize the space station for cutting edge molecular research.
Aaron Burton, NASA planetary scientist and principal investigator, put into context the one billionth "base" mark.
"For reference, the genome of the virus DNA we sent up is 48,000 bases, the genome of the E. Coli DNA we sent up is 4.6 million bases, and the length of the human genome is 3.2 billion bases," Burton said. "So if all of the bases we sequenced were from the same organism, in principle, we have collected enough data to sequence the virus genome 20,000 times over, the bacterial genome about 200 times over, and about a quarter of the mouse genome."
Aside from proving the capabilities of the device, data from the sequencing experiments will also be deposited in NASA's GeneLab database, making them available for study by any researcher to re-analyze and potentially make new discoveries.
Read more about the Biomolecule Sequencer, and the game-changing first sequencing of DNA in space.
To keep up with research aboard the orbiting laboratory, sign up for our story listserv, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Science in Short: Station Offers Diverse Research Opportunities
Three dramatically different experiments on the International Space Station last week show what an amazing and diverse platform we have for technology demonstrations, improving health on Earth and helping us understand our place in the universe.
Last Friday the first operations of a technology demonstration experiment called the Long Duration Sorbent Testbed (LDST) began on the orbiting laboratory. This project is an example of the way we are making the space station a place to quickly test new technologies that are important for future space exploration. It exposes desiccants and CO2 sorbents to the station atmosphere for about a year before returning them to Earth to be analyzed. The effort was completed under an engineering process we call 1E that allows streamlined certifications and rules that keep the station and crew safe, but reduce paperwork, turnaround time and costs. These are a model for ways to better do new experiments and fly new kinds of hardware.
Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi completed an ambient environment session of the ESA Airway Monitoring (Airway Monitoring) experiment. This experiment studies airway inflammation which can be caused by being in a closed environment, and could be much worse someday on future missions to the moon or Mars. A special small monitor measures the nitrous oxide (NO) that is exhaled by each crew member. The European technology built for this experiment is also being used in asthma centers back here on Earth in a device called NIOX MINO™ which helps to measure the level of airway inflammation in patients here on earth.
Word has also come to us from the Meteor project team that they have captured their first observation of a meteor re-entering Earth's atmosphere. The Meteor instrument currently on the space station is the third unit built, as the first two were lost on Orb-3 Cygnus and Space X-7. The first images of re-entering meteors were captured in late July. The METEOR camera has a special filter that allows determining the atomic emission lines of the major elements so not only does it see the flash of light when a meteor re-enters Earth's atmosphere, it can tell scientists what the meteor is made of. Iron, calcium, magnesium or sodium elements can all be detected. Southwest Research Institute collaboratied with the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan to fly the instrument, and we are currently working with the investigators on a English-language press release. See more images at the Japanese image gallery online.
Science in Short: Building a Better Gas Trap
The Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE) was installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) this week, and is the largest, most complex experiment installed in the MSG to date. When the gas-control module did not power up properly, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra helped to quickly identify the problem, which involved a foam piece imbedded in a connector. Kopra also helped trouble-shoot a video camera for the gas-liquid separator. After two days of setup, all systems in the PBRE are now operating as expected.
During subsequent testing, PBRE found that the gas flow provided by the MSG was not as high as desired. The team is still evaluating if the test matrix will need to be modified. Initial testing this week includes some preliminary flows to flood the column with water and then introduce low gas flows to observe viscous fingering within the porous media (similar to water injected into oil wells to enhance flows).
Next week, PBRE will begin a series of tests to determine minimum flows to remove bubbles from the reactor bed. This is a serious concern encountered by most reactor beds in microgravity, since gravity is not available to drive the bubbles to the top of the reactor. Our results will provide guidelines to design and operating beds to prevent bubble accumulation.
In space, water-recovery systems, fuel cells and other equipment use packed bed reactors, but currently none are designed to handle both liquid and gas at the same time. With improved understanding of how packed bed two-phase flow works in microgravity, scientists are be able to design more efficient, lightweight thermal management and life support systems that use less energy, benefiting the Space Station as well as future lunar and Mars missions.
On Earth, design rules for gas-liquid flows through packed columns are well developed, but lacking for reduced or zero gravity. PBRE seeks to fill this knowledge gap by studying the hydrodynamics of gas-liquid flows in zero gravity through packed columns. By understanding how gravity affects gas-liquid flows through packed columns (or packed beds, as they are known in the industry) better, more predictive correlations for pressure drops and flow regime maps can be developed with the proper gravity-dependent terms included.


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QUESTION: What are the issues facing men who live with erectile dysfunction (ED), particularly in their relationships with women partners and in their interactions with the wider community?
Qualitative study.
United Kingdom.
A convenience sample of 9 men (age range 28–72 y) who were selected from new general practitioner (GP) referrals to a district general hospital and a specialist neurology clinic.
Men participated in semistructured indepth interviews that were audiotaped, transcribed, and analysed using an iterative process to generate categories and themes.
Main findings
2 main themes, loss and being alone with it, emerged. These 2 themes were connected via the meta-categories making sense of it, telling other people, and place of sex in the relationship.
The theme of loss was related to a sense of manhood: "How can I be a man if I can't maintain or have erections?" Men referred to a hierarchy of signs that confer manhood (with erections at the top, followed by penile sensation, desire for sex, and ejaculations), and gauged the seriousness of their ED by comparing it with this hierarchy. They generally believed there was a lack of public acknowledgement about how common ED was, which they attributed to the pressure put on men by men to define their manhood in terms of sexual activity (eg, bragging). The sense of loss was also indicated by the process of making sense of it. Men talked about knowing and not knowing what caused their ED, postulating reasons including physical "malfunctions" and psychological problems (eg, work pressure). Men seemed uncertain whether their ED was permanent or temporary, in part, because of the gradual onset of symptoms. They were also unsure about what was normal for their age. Men >60 years of age said that they did not discuss sex openly with their partners because they were embarrassed, and their partners also felt embarrassed or at fault. Men <60 years of age, however, talked about their partners' acceptance of their ED and of still being in love. They discussed their ED and how to manage it with their partners. Men's uncertainty was also indicated in the process of finding a solution. Most were looking for a "cure" but did not expect to find one. A solution was seen as an intervention to produce and maintain erections. Men anticipated physical rather than psychological interventions (eg, counselling or hypnosis), which were primarily seen as supplements to physical interventions. The place of sex in the relationship varied. Some saw sex as an indicator of their love for their partners and worried that their partners might think they didn't love them anymore; others saw it as an added bonus to their love. Most men spoke of having sexual desires for their partners. They were concerned about meeting their partner's sexual needs, and talked about women wanting and preferring penetration.
The second theme, being alone with it, reflected the difficulties of telling others about their ED. In terms of telling other people, most men had only discussed their ED with their GP or a hospital physician. Disclosure of ED to health professionals (men or women) was not a problem for many men, who saw professionalism as a means of ensuring a sympathetic and confidential hearing. Some older men, however, had difficulties disclosing to either male or female health professionals. In some instances, the problem was identified when they consulted with their GP on another health matter.
The lived experiences of men with erectile dysfunction focused on 2 themes: loss and being alone with it. The meta-categories of making sense of it, telling other people, and the place of sex in the relationship linked the 2 themes.
This qualitative study by Pontin et al identifies and explores issues facing men who live with ED. Research that focuses on patients' viewpoints, such as this study, helps providers to better understand how patient level of functioning affects quality of life,1 to design and evaluate treatment modalities, to develop care plans that address specific patient identified needs, and to make appropriate referrals when needed.
Pontin et al identified 2 limitations of their study. Firstly, the study explored only the men's concerns, and it is likely that their partners may have different insights into the effects of ED on their relationship. Secondly, the study included only a small sample of men, and findings may differ for older or younger men, gay men, and men with different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Participants were men who sought treatment, but the reasons for seeking treatment were not clearly identified. The relation of the interview statements with the identified themes of loss and being alone with it were somewhat casually generalised in describing cause and effect.
A paucity of data exists on men's needs related to ED, including psychological, social, sexual, and patient care concerns.2 The study by Pontin et al identifies the need for further research on the effect of ED on manhood and fertility, the age and social background of men living with ED, decision making on treatment options, sources of information about treatment, relation between love and sex, and preferences related to treatment provider.
The findings emphasise the need to routinely include sexuality in community and hospital based nursing assessments. This requires a professional approach that offers respect for the individual and maintains confidentiality. Pontin et al stress the importance of making educational materials available to provide unbiased information about ED and its treatment to help patients make informed treatment choices.
For correspondence: Dr D Pontin, Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. David.Pontin{at}uwe.ac.uk
Source of funding: no external funding.

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MADISON, Wis., Feb. 17 (UPI) — Ben Brust's double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds Sunday helped power No. 19 Wisconsin over 14th-ranked Ohio State 71-49.
Jared Berggren supplied 15 points, eight boards and four blocks as Wisconsin (18-8, 9-4 Big Ten) continued its run of effectiveness against Top 15 teams this season.
The victory marked the fifth time the Badgers have taken out such highly ranked opponents, including previous triumphs over Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota.
Sam Dekker (13 points) and Traevon Jackson (10) also reached double figures in the win.
The Buckeyes (18-7, 8-5), meanwhile, fell for the third time in four games despite 18 points and six rebounds from Deshaun Thomas.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).


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There are moments in life that take you by surprise - an outcome you weren't expecting, an instant connection with a virtual stranger, or those warm tingles of new love. No matter what happens, you are certain that you will never be the same. Step inside and join these best-selling authors as they offer you a glimpse into the hearts and minds of some of your favorite characters. From dystopian to paranormal to contemporary romance, this collection provides a taste of all that you love. Coming Soon to: Available now! About the Authors: Anna Cruise Anna Cruise has been writing and drooling over boys since middle school. Lots of years have passed but some things never change... Her books include the best-seller IT WAS YOU, IF I FALL (Mature YA) and MAVERICK (Contemporary Romance. Additional titles include DOWN BY THE WATER (Romantic Suspense), SET IN STONE (YA Paranormal) and IT WAS ME and IT WAS US, the follow-up stories to IT WAS YOU. Anna loves to hear from readers and authors. Carlyle Labuschagne is a South African Debut Author working her way into the hearts of international readers with her First Young Adult Dystopian Novel "The Broken Destiny. She is not only an author but works as a Sales Rep and Marketing Manager by day. She holds a diploma in creative writing through the writing school at Collage SA. Loves to swim, fights for the trees, food lover who is driven by her passion for life. Carlyle writes for IU e-magazine India, an inspirational non-profit magazine that aims at inspiring the world through words. The drive behind her author career is healing through words. Carlyle is also the founder of the first annual book drive - Help build a library in Africa project. "My goal as an Author is to touch people's lives and help others love their differences and one another." A firm believer in - YA saves! CL Foster is eclectic, geeky, positive, nature-loving and completely non-"normal" (just the way she likes to be). She has been a fan of literature since she was a small child and finally decided to take her dreams (both waking and sleeping!) and do something positive with them. CL has lived all over the world and has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, minoring in Psychology and Forensics. Which means you don't want to cross her because she knows how and where to hide a body so it's never found! She proudly admits to hearing voices in her head, but at times, her characters' impromptu visits can be rude and annoying. Thankfully, she has adequate patience for their shenanigans and can out ninja them any day of the week. CL's voice is boisterous, sassy, and not finished yet! Stay tuned! Delphina Henley is a stay at home mother of four, an avid reader and a shifter crack addict. Her NA paranormal romance, Unless You Can Be A Unicorn, is set to release in October 2014. The prequel, "Always Be Yourself" is a part of the anthology, Certain. E.L. Todd My journey to this profession was slightly unorthodox. I received my bachelor's degree in biological sciences, worked as an award-winning researcher, and worked various jobs to pay the bills. While I enjoyed every moment of this adventure, it wasn't my passion. I've been writing since I was a young girl and have read anything that I can get my hands on. When people ask me what my favorite book is, I always respond, "All of them." After I showed my work to my closest friends and gained their confidence, I realized that this is something I could commit my life to, something that I love. I never imagined--dreamed--that I could make a living as a writer. This is the greatest profession that I ever could have asked for, and I am so thankful for the support from everyone in my life. How many other jobs let you work in your pajamas? I'm very grateful that I've had success with my various series. The Forever and Always Series is very close to my heart. I realize all the characters are fictitious, but in reality, they are real people living in my mind...as creepy as that sounds. The Hawaiian Crush Series, The Essence Series, The Soul Saga, and the Southern Love Series are all also extensions of who I am, just played out in word. It's the greatest job in the world to explore different places and people and actually get to write about it. What makes it even better is when people love reading it. When I receive fan mail through email, my website, or on Goodreads, I'm extremely flattered and humbled that people take the time out of their lives to compliment my work. I appreciate all the love and support. Without it, I would be nothing. I really would. Kelly Risser knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unfortunately, Fairytale Princess was not a lucrative career. Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of creative business writing where she worked in advertising, marketing, and training at various companies. She's often found lamenting, "It's hard to write when there's so many good books to read!" So, when she's not immersed in the middle of someone else's fantasy world, she's busy creating one of her own. This world is introduced in her first novel, Never Forgotten. Kelly lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children. They share their home with Clyde the Whoodle and a school of fish. N.L. Greene is a writer of YA and NA Contemporary and Paranormal Romances. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two beautiful daughters. When she isn't writing or reading, she enjoys traveling around the world with her family, shopping and doing other girly things with her girls, or playing video games with her husband. She is a lover of dogs, chocolate, and anything pink! Randi Cooley Wilson was born and raised in Massachusetts where she attended Bridgewater State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation she moved to California where she lived happily bathed in sunshine and warm weather for fifteen years. Randi now resides in Massachusetts with her husband and daughter.Sharon Rose Mayes lives in Lufkin, Texas with her two sons. She chronicles her daily life at her personal blog Not Your Mom Blog and has been active in the blogosphere for seven years. When she is not chasing her kids and playing soccer mom she writes and dreams of all of the places she can't wait to travel. Susan Burdorf has loved fairy tales since she was old enough to read. The story of Sleeping Beauty, on which Affliction is based, is one of her favorites. Susan lives a quiet life in Nashville TN where she enjoys taking time to explore her second childhood with her grandchildren,with whom she continues to read fairy tales long after they have fallen asleep. She can often be found searching for fairy rings in her backyard. Leave a Reply. |
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I grew up watching my mom and my aunts sew clothing, pillows, and curtains for their homes. There were no blogs to showcase their work, just their fellow community where they shared their tips and advice. It was the late seventies, times were tough, money was tight, and the economy was in the you know what. Ladies all across the nation were trading patterns and ideas, and sewing up a frenzy of home decor on a budget. Sounds kinda familiar doesn't it?
The very best way to soften a space, to add texture, pattern and personality, is with the use of great fabrics, so I believe one of the best tools for an avid DIYer is a basic sewing machine. You'll find plenty of tutorials online for 'no sew' decor, and they are fantastic, in fact I've done several myself. There are lots of times when fusible web, fabric glue, or safety pins have come to my rescue with a simple hem or a window treatment. Yay for those solutions! Yet one thing I've learned is that having the ability to work a sewing machine opens up an entirely new world.
Do you ever see a swatch of fabric, be it in the form of a dress, an apron, a napkin, a silk scarf, and you think to yourself, "This would make a great pillow!" or you find a great fabric and think "I want to make curtains out of this." It happens to me all the time! You can design an entire space around a single swatch of fabric that inspires, be it a damask, geometric, Ikat or simple stripe pattern, whatever speaks to you. I am constantly inspired by patterns I find beyond the racks in fabric stores, and I'm a big believer in reinventing them into new things.
For example, take these inexpensive napkins I found in a local kitchen store. Beautiful robins egg blue background with an apple green botanical pattern. Love! In fact, I loved them so much, I turned them into a pillow!
We all know custom window panels and designer pillows can cost a small fortune. Years ago, after gathering a few quotes, there came a moment when I just wanted the ability make a simple pillows for myself out of some favorite fabrics, but didn't want to pay someone to have them made. So I did some research online, and I bought a basic Singer sewing machine for around $125 bucks.
My Mom didn't teach me to sew (I wasn't interested when I was young). I taught myself by reading the manual and following directions. I learned how to thread the machine and to sew a straight stitch. Most recently, I've mastered piping and zippers, all with some online tutorials, a lot of patience, and a little gumption.
So many people I converse with via email want the ability to create things for their home, but have never learned how to sew, mostly because they're afraid it's too hard. I'm here to tell you it's not! You can do it!
If you're ready to get started, here are some encouraging words and a few pointers from my guest, Julie Anne Eason of Serious Sewing.com.
Ten Rules of the Road for Happy Sewing Machines
"A new sewing machine can be your gateway to a whole new world of creativity and thrifty fun. It's easy to imagine yourself spending long hours blissfully churning out cheap-but-chic fashions for yourself, your family and friends. But sometimes reality steps in and smacks unwary beginners upside the head. A sewing machine can provide hours of joy if you take the time to learn a few simple rules before you start to sew.
1. Use good thread. The number one reason people have trouble with a new sewing machine has something to do with thread. Cheap thread will shred and jam up your machine so if you're having trouble (especially with the dreaded "birdsnest" of tangled thread under your fabric) just do yourself a favor and switch to a better brand of thread.
2. Use the right needles for your project and change them often. I know people who think the only time you should change a needle is if it breaks. Not true. Needles get dull; they get bent; they get nicked; they just plain wear out. After every ten hours of sewing, you should think about changing your needle.
You also need to use the right needle for the project. There are two types: ball point and sharps. Ball point needles are designed to sew knits (anything stretchy) and sharps are designed for woven fabrics (non-stretchy.) There are universal needles which usually work okay for both types of cloth. If you're having trouble with skipped stitches or weird seams, ditch the universal for the appropriate type needle. Also, use the correct size needle for your fabrics as well. Sewing machine needles are sized differently for lightweight, medium and heavyweight fabrics. Check your machine's instruction manual for specific recommendations.
3. Read your manual. Every machine is a little different, so even if you've been using your Grandma's 1940's Singer for years, your new machine will work a little differently. It can take a little time to read through the entire manual, but it's worth the effort. The authors often include priceless tips that you wouldn't find anywhere else.
4. When in doubt, rethread. It never fails, at the first sign of trouble with a stitch or seam, we all head straight for the tension dials. Please, for the love of fabric, leave the tension dials alone! At least at first. Anytime you run into trouble, your first thought should be "hmm, maybe it's threaded wrong." Do yourself a favor and just rethread the machine. About 80% of the time, this will fix whatever is wrong. The other 20% could be you need a new needle or different thread.
Here's a bonus tip: Always, rethread your machine with the presser foot in the UP position. Otherwise, the thread might get caught by the tension disks and then your machine won't work.
5. Clean and oil your machine often. Most sewers don't clean their machines nearly often enough because they think they have to take it to a sewing machine mechanic and pay $100 or more to get it cleaned. Go to YouTube or research online for a tutorial. If you can work a screwdriver, you can clean your machine.
6. Take the time to understand your stitches. Modern sewing machines come with a huge assortment of stitches (some machines come with thousands built-in.) Some of them are designed for sewing regular fabrics; some are for stretch fabrics; and some are purely decorative embroidery-type stitches. Using the wrong stitch for the wrong purpose will cause you trouble.
7. Use the correct presser foot for the job. Depending on your machine, you probably have a regular foot, a zig-zag foot, a button-holer, a walking foot, a zipper foot and a wide variety of others. These are specially designed to perform unique tasks, so use them appropriately. Presser feet are very easy to change in and out, usually with just the touch of a button.
8. Try this fancy trick. To help prevent that snarl you sometimes get at the very beginning of a seam when your fabric edge is too close to the needle, hold the main thread and bobbin thread in your left hand and pull gently for the first few stitches until the jagged parallel lines, or 'feed dogs' are completely in control of the fabric.
9. Keep a pretty jar handy for bent pins and broken needles. I've had one too many times where the needle slammed right into the pin and broke. It's always a hassle, so now I just pull the pins out as I sew.
10. Slow down. We're all in a hurry to get a project done, but sometimes you really need to slow down. When you're first learning how to sew, when working tricky curves and sharp corners, or when you're working with thick layers of fabric, you should start on the slowest setting and then speed up as you gain experience, or after gauging how the machine handles the fabric.
Follow these tips and you'll spend your sewing hours happily creating project after project instead of fighting with your machine!
If you're inspired to purchase a new machine, I recommend new sewers choose quality over the lowest price. I think the Brother CS6000I is the best model for beginners, you can read my full review here. Having a machine that runs well means you can save money later by recycling used clothing, mending torn garments and creating pieces that fit you perfectly!"
Julie Anne Eason is an independent web publisher and writer specializing in sewing and craft projects. You can find her at her blog Serious Sewing.com.
Thank you so much Julie for your time, expertise, and recommendations! Now, here's how I made that sweet stylish pillow out of napkins found at a local kitchen store.
How To Make a Removable Pillow Cover out of Two Cloth Napkins
1) Cut one of the napkins in half down the middle. 2) Flip both napkins inside out and overlap the hemmed edges of the cut napkin. 3) Stitch overlapped edges together. 4) Sew the perimeter of the napkins edges together (inside out). 4) To prevent fluffier pillows from bulging on the back, sew small Velcro tabs to the edge of the overlap (turn the sewing needle by hand and avoid using the pedal to prevent needle breakage due to thickness. 6) Velcro together for a seamless back.
Voila! A designer look pillow cover fashioned out of napkins!
Those of you who sew, tell me, what's your favorite project you've created on a sewing machine? Those of you who don't sew, are you inclined to purchase a sewing machine or put one on your Christmas list? Do tell!
** If you have an area of expertise that is content relevant, that you believe CG readers may appreciate, please feel free to submit your article for consideration after reviewing these guidelines for guest submissions.


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How important is crew culture to Biscuitville's success?
It's huge. They're the contact point for the customer. For us it's about making the day better. And that really starts from the top down. Our feedback from our customers is that we have very friendly and personable crew, and it really starts when you hire that person. If you hire somebody that is happy and smiles, you're probably going to get a happy customer. It's crucial to our success.
What does Biscuitville do to ensure a good first point of contact with the customer?
We like to say we have a fun place to work. It is hard work, especially being in breakfast, we have a short period of time when we're doing a lot of business. So it can be stressful, but we try to keep it a fun place to work. Part of that is that interaction with the customers, where they know the customers—we have regular customers they see every day, and they learn their names and know what they order usually before they walk in the door.
Is there a special creed the company uses to guide its employees?
A guy named Phil Johnston wrote a book, [Biscuitville: The Secret Recipe for Building a Sustainable Competitive Advantage] … and he talks about the fact that we don't have a written ethics policy. Really, we talk about the Golden Rule and living by the Golden Rule. It's "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is a part of it. We also have our values of respect, integrity—values that you would find in many other companies. But for us, focusing on the Golden Rule is a point of difference.
How does crew treatment differ between store and corporate employees?
We do our best to make it similar across the board. About a year and a half ago we had a company theme that was called "One Company, One Team," to help all of our people to understand that it's not "you're in corporate, you're in the restaurants," but we're all one company and one team. You need initiatives like that to remind people that it's all about making the customer's day better. For somebody who's working in corporate, their customer may be one of the stores, or maybe another department. But it all gets back to the final customer, who's paying to buy the biscuits.
According to the book, Biscuitville, you lead with a "soft power" leadership style. What is that?
I call it "trying to make decisions by consensus." We have quite a few committee meetings and management meetings where we discuss issues, and rather than me say, "It's going to be this way," we try to use people's talents and advice, and come to a consensus as a group on decisions. I still reserve the right to make the final decision, but it's more of a group decision-making.
How does the tradition of the stores translate to the customers?
Our restaurants are set up on a profit-share system. For our store operators, it's like being an entrepreneur, because they're paid based on the profitability of their restaurant. And I think that is quite different than a lot of our competition in the restaurant industry, unless they're a franchisee and they have one restaurant. So that seems to make a difference, at least on our culture of how we operate the restaurants. It translates into higher income for our operators. Last year, that number was around $88,000 a year for their income. And that's significantly higher than our competition.
What is employee turnover like at Biscuitville?
We are told that our turnover is lower than the industry average. Our operator turnover, what people would call general managers in our industry, is somewhere around 15 percent. Last year our turnover was 5 percent. I think that's an unusual number because we were in a recession, so before that it's been 18 percent for two years. On the crew side, we were 71 percent in '09, and I think that's still unfair to take that number and say that's what it normally is, because a year before it was 117 percent. Obviously, the economy has an affect. Management, which really is the foundation of the company, having that low of a number helps us maintain the culture of Biscuitville.
How does Biscuitville's crew culture give it a competitive advantage in the industry?
When we look at the Golden Rule and making the day better, we feel like we are more of a family, and the folks who have worked with us have told us that sometimes they get confused between their own personal family and the Biscuitville family. And we think that that gives us a competitive advantage.
It's loyalty to the company, it's loyalty to your fellow employees. But we're all about taking care of each other, which translates into, how can we continue this and be successful? It gets right back down to why we're in business, and it's we're in business to provide a service to our customer, and that's the biscuits. What is that competitive advantage ultimately? That's making the day better for our customer.
Is the people-first method a risky move for a business?
You can have the best ingredients in the world, but if you don't have the people who can execute it, you have nothing. When we think about people first, it's the people that make us successful. You can have the best ingredients, you can have the best process, but if your folks don't understand that and are able to execute that, you really have nothing. So for us, it is absolutely people first.


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Budget is the annual fiscal exercise that attracts a lot interest, as it is a plan that sets goals, outlines resources to meet these goals, provides details of the government's receipts and payments, and frames the taxation policies for the country.
When Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents the Union Budget, you might come across a lot of terms that might not be readily understandable. The Budget is full of technical jargon that is pure mumbo jumbo to the uninitiated.
Here is a financial glossary of words and phrases linked to the budgetary exercise to help you manoeuvre your way through the maze that is the Budget.
Assets with banking system include current account balances with other banks, advances to banks and money at call and short notice of a fortnight or less.
Ad-valorem duties This is a Latin term and it used to refer to duties that are levied on commodities/products as a certain percentage of their price. These are different from specific excise duties that are levied on products.
Budgetary Deficit Such a situation arises when the expenses exceed the revenues. Here the entire budgetary exercise falls short of allocating enough funds to a certain area.
Budget Estimates These estimates contain an estimate of Fiscal Deficit and the Revenue Deficit for the year. The term is associated with the estimates of the Center's spending during the financial year and the income received as proceeds of tax revenues.
Balance of Payment An overall statement of a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world over some period, often a year. A table of the balance of payments shows amounts received from the rest of the world and amounts spend abroad. The current account includes exports and imports, that is visible trade, and receipts from and spending abroad on services such as tourism.
It also includes receipts of property incomes from abroad and remittances of property incomes abroad, and receipts and payments of international transfers, that is gifts. The capital account of the balance of payments includes inward and outward foreign direct investment, and sales and purchases of foreign securities by residents and of domestic securities by non-residents. The third element in the balance of payments is changes in official foreign exchange reserves.
Bank credit It includes loans, cash credit and overdrafts, and inland bills and foreign bills purchased and discounted. Bills exclude those rediscounted with RBI and IDBI.
Bank credit to commercial sector It includes credit to commercial sector by RBI and commercial banks. RBI's credit includes advances to and investments in shares and debentures of financial institutions, and land mortgage banks.
Bank Rate The rate at which the Bank of England used at one tome to rediscount first-class bills for its customers. It has long been abolished. At one time many other interest rates were specified in terms of their margin above bank rate. It directly affected other interest rates only when the market needed to borrow from the Bank of England, but changes in bank rate were announced as a means of informing the City of the Bank of England's views on what commercial interest rates should be.
Borrowings by commercial banks from RBI constitute outstandings against refinance schemes, like general refinance, and export credit refinance.
Cash balances with RBI indicates cash balances maintained by scheduled banks with RBI and include these balances under cash reserve ratio (CRR) requirements.
Capital Budget The word, capital, is long-term in nature. Capital Budget keeps track of the government's capital receipts and payments. This accounts for market loans, borrowings from the Reserve Bank and other institutions through the sale of Treasury Bills, loans acquired from foreign governments and recoveries of loans granted by the Central government to state governments and Union Territories.
Capital Payments Expenses incurred on acquisition of assets are termed capital payments.
CENVAT This is a replacement for the earlier MODVAT scheme and is meant for reducing the cascade effect of indirect taxes on finished products. The scheme is a more extensive one with most goods brought under its preview.
Custom Duties These duties are levied on goods whenever they are either brought into the country or exported from the country. The importer or the exporter pays custom duties.
Countervailing Duties This is levied on imports that may lead to price rise in the domestic market. It is imposed with the intention of discouraging unfair trading practices by other countries.
Consolidated Fund This is one big reservoir where the government pools all its funds together. The fund includes all government revenues, loans raised and recoveries of loans granted.
Contingency Fund It is more or less similar to that extra little bit of savings that all mothers set aside in case of an emergency. Likewise, the government has created this fund to help it tide over difficult situations. The fund is at the disposal of the President to meet unforeseen and urgent expenditure, pending approval from Parliament. The amount that is withdrawn from the fund is recouped.
Capital Expenditure Long-term in nature they are used for acquiring fixed assets such as land, building, machinery and equipment. Other items that also fall under this category include, loans and advances sanctioned by the Center to the State governments, union territories and public sector undertakings.
Capital Receipt Loans raised by the Center from the market, government borrowings from the RBI & other parties, sale of Treasury Bills and loans received from foreign governments all form a part of Capital Receipt. Other items that also fall under this category include recovery of loans granted by the Center to State governments & Union Territories and proceeds from the dilution of the government's stake in Public Sector Undertakings.
Central Plan It refers to the government's budgetary support to the Plan and, the internal and extra budgetary resources raised by the Public Sector Undertakings.
Consumer price index A price index covering the prices of consumer goods. This is contrasted with a more general price index, such as the GDP deflator, which also includes investment gods and goods purchased by the government.
Corporate Tax A tax on the profits of firms, as distinct from taxation of the incomes of their owners. There are strong arguments for having separate income tax schemes for firms and individuals the system of allowances and progressive tax rates appropriate for a tax on individual incomes is quite different from a sensible scheme for taxing firms.
Crowding Out The possibility that an increase in one form of spending may cause another form to fall. This could happen in various ways. Suppose for example that government spending on public work rises. This might use scarce resources, such as skilled engineers, diverting them from alternative investment projects, which are thus delayed.
Alternatively, if increased demand causes inflation, this might lead to tighter monetary policy, thus cutting forms of spending. Finally, if private investors are made nervous by increased government debt, a rise in public works might scare off private investment. Total crowding out occurs if other spending falls by 100 per cent of the rise in public works.
Partial crowding out occurs if other spending falls, but by less than spending rises. It is possible that crowding in may occur, that is, other spending is actually increased, if conditions are such that the Keynesian multiplier works, or through favourable effects of an overall rise in spending on the confidence of private investors.
The currency liability of Central government constitutes small coins and other commemorative coins issued by the government mints.
Current Account Transactions where the payments are income for the recipient. A country's balance of payments on current account includes trade in goods, or visibles; trade in services, or invisibles; payments of factor incomes, including dividends, interests, migrants remittances from earnings abroad; and international transfers, that is gifts. Current account is contrasted with capital account, where transactions do not give rise to incomes, but represent changes in the form in which assets are held.
Current Account Deficit An excess of expenditure over receipts on current account in a country's balance of payments.
Current Account Surplus An excess of receipts over expenditure on current account in a country's balance of payments.
Direct Taxes Taxes imposed directly on the customers such as the Income Tax and the Corporate Tax fall under this category.
Divestment The dilution of the government's stake in Public Sector Undertakings is called as divestment.
Demand for grants It is a statement of estimate of expenditure from the Consolidated Fund. This requires the approval of the Lok Sabha.
Demand deposits It include current deposits, demand liabilities portion of savings bank deposits, overdue deposits and cash certificates, outstanding telegraphic and mail transfers and margins against letter of credit/guarantees.
Deposit money It consists of demand deposits with commercial and cooperative banks. It also includes current deposits portion of savings bank deposits. These deposits do not earn any interest.
Excise Duty A tax levied on the consumption of particular goods. These may be levied to raise government revenue, and are often levied at higher rates on goods whose consumption is believed to have adverse effects on public health, public order, or the environment. Excise duties on alcoholic drinks, tobacco, and petrol are widely used for both purposes.
Food credit by banks indicates bank credit to Food Corporation of India, State governments and State cooperative agencies for food procurement.
Foreign Direct Investment The acquisition by residents of a country of real assets abroad. This may be done by remitting money abroad to be spent on acquiring land, constructing buildings, mines, or machinery, or buying existing foreign business.
Inward foreign direct investment similarly is acquisition by non-residents of real assets within a country. Once a country has real assets abroad, if these make profits which are ploughed back into expanding enterprises, this would ideally be shown in the balance of payments as receipts on current account balanced by an outflow on capital account.
In fact balance-of-payments accounts often show only net remittances of profits as a current account item, ignoring profits earned abroad and ploughed back in both current and capital accounts.
Finance Bill Consists the government's proposals for the imposition of new taxes, modification of the existing tax structure or continuance of the existing tax structure beyond the period approved by the Parliament.
Fiscal Deficit It is the difference between the Revenue Receipts and Total Expenditure.
Gross National Product Total market value of the finished goods and services manufactured within the country in a given financial year, plus income earned by the local residents from investments made abroad, minus the income earned by foreigners in the domestic market.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) One of the main measures of economic activity. 'Gross' indicates that it is calculated without subtracting any allowance for capital consumption; 'domestic' that it measures activities located in the country regardless of their ownership.
It thus includes activities carried on in the country by foreign-owned companies, and excludes activities of firms owned by residents but carried on abroad. 'Product' indicates that it measures real output produced rather than output absorbed by residents. GDP is reported at both current and constant prices.
Gross Investment Spending on creating new capital goods, before making any allowance for capital consumption. Gross investment consists of gross fixed investment, plus net investment in stocks and work in progress. Gross investment is distinguished from net investment, which measures the change in the capital stock after allowing for capital consumption. Gross investment is in principle based on observable market transactions; by contrast, capital consumption is based on calculation about the rate at which capital goods wear out or become obsolete. These calculations are not based on market transactions thus they, and estimates of net investment based on them, are less reliable than measures of gross investment.
Income Tax A tax on income. Income tax is normally zero on some bands of small incomes, both on equity grounds and because of the expense of collecting tiny amounts of tax. It is then normally proportional up to some upper limit; income beyond this is taxed at higher rates.
Thus income tax is usually progressive. An individual's taxable income is calculated after deducting various allowances, in respect of assorted items which may include mortgage interest payable, charitable donations, responsibility for dependents, age allowances, medical insurance, and superannuation contributions. Income for tax purposes may include or exclude imputed items such as the value of the services of owner-occupied houses.
Capital gains may be included as income, excluded, or taxed separately from income. Income tax may be collected from individuals in arrears, or by deduction at source through pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) in the UK, or a withholding tax on incomes from employment and payment of dividends net of tax by companies, in the US.
Inflation A persistent tendency for prices and money wages to increase. Inflation is measured by the proportional changes over time in some appropriate index, commonly a consumer price index, or a GDP deflator. Because of changes in the type and quality of goods available, measures of inflation are probably not reliable to closer than a margin of 1 or 2 per cent a year, but if prices rise faster than this there is no doubt that inflation exists.
Economists have attempted to distinguish cost and demand inflation. Cost inflation is started by an increase in some elements of costs, for example the oil price explosion of 1973-4. Demand inflation is due to too much aggregate demand. Once started, inflation tends to persist through an inflationary spiral, in which various prices and wage rates rise because others have risen.
The inflation tax is the real cost to the holders of money due to its loss of real purchasing power during inflation. Hyperinflation is extremely rapid inflation, in which prices increase so fast that money largely loses its convenience as a medium of exchange.
Deflation is when inflation falls into the negative zone, as is currently the case in India.
Indirect Taxes Taxes imposed on goods manufactured, imported or exported such as Excise Duties and Custom Duties.
MODVAT It stands for Modified Value Added Tax and is a way of giving some relief to the final manufacturers of goods on Excise Duties borne by their suppliers.
Monetized Deficit Measures the level of support the RBI provides to the Centre's borrowing program.
M1, also called narrow money, includes currency with public (notes and coins in circulation less cash in hand with banks), deposit money with public, and `other' deposits with RBI.
M3, also called broad money, includes M1 plus time deposits with banks. Time deposits exclude inter-bank deposits.
Medium term loan It is granted for 1-3 years. Long-term loans are for more than 3 years.
Merchandise Account The part of balance-of-payments accounts referring to visible trade, or merchandise imports and exports.
Non-Plan Expenditure Consists of Revenue and Capital Expenditure on interest payments, Defense Expenditure, subsidies, postal deficit, police, pensions, economic services, loans to public sector enterprises and loans as well as grants to State governments, Union territories and foreign governments.
Net bank credit to government includes total net credit to Central and State governments by RBI and commercial banks. Credit to government by commercial banks indicates investments by banks in government securities.
Net foreign exchange assets with banks include net foreign exchange with RBI and commercial banks. Foreign exchange assets of commercial banks include net foreign currency balances with authorised foreign exchange dealers.
Net non-monetary liabilities of the banking sector indicate net non-monetary liabilities, other than time deposit liabilities of commercial banks, and net non-monetary liabilities of RBI. These include capital and reserves, branch adjustments, and bills payables; the liabilities are net of investments in fixed assets, and branch adjustments.
"Other" deposits held with RBI are deposits other than balances held in IMF Account No.1, RBI employee provident and superannuation funds, and CDS deposits. The balances under these accounts are excluded, as they are non-monetary liabilities of RBI.
Peak Rate It is the highest rate of Custom Duty applicable on an item.
Performance Budget It is a compilation of programs and activities of different ministries and departments.
Public Account It is an account where money received through transactions not relating to consolidated fund is kept.
Plan Expenditure Consists of both Revenue Expenditure and Capital Expenditure of the Center on the Central Plan, Central Assistance to States and Union Territories.
Primary Deficit Fiscal Deficit minus Interest payments.
Per Capita Real GDP A country's real GDP per member of the population. This may be calculated using the total population, adults only, or 'adult' equivalents', giving children of various ages weighs equal to a fraction of an adult. Per capita real GDP is lower than per capita income in a country with net external assets which yield an income, and greater than per capita income in a country with a lot of inward investment, so that net property income payments have to be made abroad.
Purchasing power parity PPPs are the rates of currency conversion which equalise the purchasing power of different currencies. This means that a given sum of money, when converted into different currencies at the PPP rates, will buy the same basket of goods and services in all countries. In other words, PPPs are the rates of currency conversion which eliminate the differences in price levels between countries.
PPPs also appear in international trade theory in the context of equilibrium exchange rates - that is the underlying rates of exchange to which actual exchange rates are assumed to converge in the long term.
Reserve money refers to money supplied by RBI and Central government. This indicates monetary liability of RBI and the government of India to public including banks. The reserve money, or currency notes and coins, is held by public and banks in their currency chests and as deposits with RBI. It also includes "other" deposits with RBI.
Revenue Deficit It is the difference between Revenue Expenditure and Revenue Receipts.
Revenue Surplus Opposite of Revenue Deficit, it is the excess of Revenue Receipts over Revenue Expenditure.
Revised Estimates Usually given in the following budget, it is the difference between the Budget Estimates and the actual figures.
Revenue Budget Consists of Revenue Receipts and Revenue Expenditure of the government.
Revenue Receipt Consists of duties imposed by the Centre, interest and dividend on investments made by the government.
Revenue Expenditure Expenditure incurred for the normal functioning of the government departments and various other services such as interest charges on debt incurred by the government.
Scheduled banks are banks, which are included in the second schedule to the Reserve Ba nk of India Act 1934. These banks enjoy certain privileges such as free concessional remittance facilities and financial accommodation from the RBI. They also have certain obligations like minimum cash reserve ratio (CRR) to be kept with the RBI.
Subsidies Financial aid provided by the Center to individuals or a group of individuals to be competitive. The grant of subsidies is also aimed at improving their skills of those who benefit from the subsidies.
Term deposits are deposits with a fixed maturity of not less than 15 days. This would also include cash certificates, and cumulative or recurring deposits, but would exclude interest accrued and payable on these deposits.
Value Added Tax It is based on the difference between the value of the output over the value of the inputs used.
Wholesale Price Index The prices of goods, which are dealt with, wholesale, mainly bulk goods, which are mostly inputs to production rather than finished commodities. A wholesale price index, for example, includes wheat and sheet steel, where a retail price index includes bread and cars.
Because they involve goods that are dealt in before the production of final goods, and are held as stocks of inputs, wholesale price indexes tend to be leading indicators, moving earlier in trade cycles than the retail price index.


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Anti-Tax activist Grover Norquist, who's also a member of gay conservative group GOProud's board, told CPAC attendees today that their left-wing opponents are made up of "takers" who want nothing more than to drain government and private funds for their own purposes.
"The left believes the proper role of government is taking things from some people and giving it to other people," said Norquist, before deriding the "two wings" of the left's dependency movement: those who are dependent, and the lawyers, labor unions and others who help keep them dependent by "making sure none of them get jobs and become Republicans."
Norquist went on to say that the left is "not made up of friends and allies," but rather they are "made up of competing parasites" who will devour one another if the right can successfully curb President Obama's tax and spend policies. "If we say no to tax increases, stop throwing money [at them], they will cheerfully gnaw at the guy sitting next to them as on a taxpayer," he said.
The right, he claims, is the "leave us alone" coalition who doesn't want to run other people's lives. Unless it comes to dictating marriage rights. Then it's a free-for-all!
Give the speech a view, AFTER THE JUMP…


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"For their leading contributions to the discovery of the long b-quark lifetime with the MAC and Mark II experiments at SLAC. The unexpectedly large value of the b-quark lifetime revealed the hierarchy of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix."
Personal Data
Birth: November 5, 1952 Annan, Scotland
Citizenship: United States
Family: Married, three children
Ph.D. (Physics, Ohio State University) 1980
B.S. (Physics, York University, Downsview, Canada), 1975
Positions Held
Co-Spokesperson, SMTF Collaboration (2005-)
Guest Scientist, Fermilab (2002-2005)
Co-Spokesperson, CDF Collaboration (2002-2004)
Co-head, CDF Operations-Guest Scientist Fermilab (2001-2002)
Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1998-)
Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs (1997-)
Associate Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1990-1997)
Visiting Scientist, SSC Laboratory (1989-90)
Visiting Scientist (two summers), Fermilab (1987-88)
Spokesperson BCD Collaboration (1987-1993)
Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1984-1990)
Spokesperson, MarkII Collaboration (1983-1984)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (1980-84)
Fellow, American Physical Society
Research Interest Synopsis
The largest body of my research has been focused on high energy particle experiments, at the energy frontier, with a keen interest in testing symmetries and the study of the heaviest quarks, bottom and top.
My interest in detector R&D and particle accelerators has been driven primarily by their importance to the field of High Energy Physics. Building on that, I also collaborated for several years on proton therapy applications and medical physics detectors with colleagues at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Participation in and contribution to accelerator advances and the challenges associated with the next generation of high energy accelerators, including the Linear Collider and VLHC, are in the forefront of my future research plans. In particular, I am becoming involved with an international collaboration of accelerator physicists planning to further development superconducting RF techniques. The collaboration is called SMTF (Superconducting Module Test Facility).
Ian Shipsey (Chair), Jim Brau (12/05), Arie Bodek ('04 winner)(12/05), Hugh Montgomery (V. Chair)(12/06), Bob Cousins (12/06)


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Bears, Jets Win To Advance To Conference Championships
The Chicago Bears dumped the Seattle Seahawks 35-24 this afternoon in Chicago for the right to host the NFC Championship game next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. In the AFC, the New York Jets defeated the New England Patriots 28-21, and will face the Steelers next Sunday in Pittsburgh.
NFL Conference Championship Sunday (1/23/11):
NFC: Green Bay at Chicago (1:00pm MST, on FOX)
AFC: New York Jets at Pittsburgh (4:30pm MST, on CBS)


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Dropbox is a cloud storage service for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and Linux that allows you to automatically synchronise and share documents, pictures, music or videos between multiple PCs or devices.
All data saved transmits the application to a cloud server that provides 2 GB of free disk space available to each user. Dropbox detects changes in files and synchronises it with the server when an Internet connection is available. To gain access to data on a different computer, the user can either install Dropbox or log onto the service's website.
Also supported is access via smartphone browsers, including iPhone, BlackBerry or Android browsers. Users can also download a device client app that offers better integration, for instance allowing photos taken with the phone's camera to be automatically uploaded.
The program can also make files available to other Dropbox users for editing. Files can also be provided with individual download links for use by those not registered with Dropbox – very handy for sharing your latest vacation photos with friends and acquaintances.
Other features include, for example, a bandwidth limitation, so as not to overload your Internet connection, or the ability to recover deleted files.
Dropbox is currently the most popular cloud storage service. It has evolved to the de facto standard and comes pre-installed on many smartphones.


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Friend: calls your parents by mr. and mrs. Best friend: calls your parents dad and mom. Friend: has never seen you cry Best friend: has always had the best shoulder to cry on Friend: never asks for anything to eat or drink Best friend: opens the fridge and makes herself at home Friend: asks you to write down your number. Best friend: they ask you for their number (cuz they can't remember it) Friend: borrows your stuff for a few days then gives it back. Best friend: has a closet full of your stuff Friend: only knows a few things about you Best friend: could write a biography on your life story Friend: will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing Best friend: will always go with you Source: From my best friend
My musings on Tech, Leadership & Life


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When I moved into our new house last year, the one thing I left behind at my old address, other than my amazing neighbors, was my garden. Some of you may remember Stefan and my "urban farm" project. I'd worked, or at least assisted, in the creation of a spectacular 14 x 14-foot farm. In my new house we have great big trees, that give us wonderful shade and privacy, but my chances of recreating my vegetable garden are zero. I'm lucky just to grow hostas. I studied the patterns of the sun on my new yard, in hopes that a small sliver of daylight would present itself. The only spot is a little nook by my back door, but it is covered in concrete, so tilling the soil will never happen. On a trip to the farmers' market I bought a potted patio tomato. Why not herbs and berries in pots too?
Now I have a rather impressive (albeit small) crop of lavender, sage, rosemary, lemon verbena, mint, other herbs and
two varieties of strawberries. It isn't the lush mini-farm I once had, but at least I can step out my back door and "harvest" from the pots.
Truth be told, I've only eaten a handful of strawberries from those pots. I'm not sure if it is the rabbits, which we have many, or my boys, who are eating them all? The few I have picked are sweet, a little tart and the most spectacular color red, throughout. The berries we buy in the store are often perfect looking, but when you cut into them they reveal a hollow, white interior, that resembles an empty shell, with a flavor to match. The home grown variety are dense and lovely, just small in number. My new neighbor, who just happens to be an inspired food blogger, Stephanie Meyer of Fresh Tart, brought me a perfect summer gift of a couple pints of hand picked, locally grown strawberries. They were just like my little beauties from my pots, but a recipe's worth. When she handed them to me, I knew I should do as little to them as possible, they just don't need adorning. A tiny bit of sugar, a splash of a sweet wine, some herbs from my pots, paired with shortcake and whipped cream. That's it.
Strawberry Shortcake
See me make the strawberry shortcake step by step here and find the full recipe at the bottom of this post!
"Shortcake" dough – I used the same dough my son used for his scones. Why not? They are easy, delicious and the perfect texture for strawberry shortcake. Just leave out the raisins.
Make the dough according to the scone recipe, but leave out the raisins. Roll the dough into a log that is 2-inches in diameter.
Cut the dough into 24 pieces. they will be small, and you will use two per serving.
Spread them out on two pans (ignore the amount I have here, I made lots for a party). Brush the top generously with butter and sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar.
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
To make the strawberries, toss them with the sugar, wine and herbs.
Let them sit for about 15 minutes. If they sit for any longer they should be refrigerated.
Whip the cream just before serving and assemble the strawberry shortcake. Serve immediately.
"Shortcake" (Scone) Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 cup buttermilk maybe a little more
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp melted butter for brushing the tops
- 1/2 cup sugar for sprinkling the tops
- 2 pints fresh strawberries sliced
- 1/4 cup sugar more if your strawberries are very tart, or less if they are sweet
- 1/4 cup sweet white wine I used a bottle of riesling from Sofia by Francis Coppola
- 3 tbsp chopped herbs I used basil, lemon verbena and mint
For Topping
- 1 pint whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Do this right before serving.
"Shortcake" Scones
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry blender, until it resembles cornmeal. You actually want some of the flour to resemble cornmeal, once it is cut with the butter, but you also want to keep some of the butter in pea sized pieces, which will create the flakiness in your scones.
- Add one cup of buttermilk and zest, gently stir it with a spoon, just to moisten the flour. It is ok if some of the flour is still powdery, but if it seems like there are big bunches of dry ingredients still in the bowl, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface to do the gentle kneading. You are really just turning the dough over on itself, using a bench scraper is very handy to get this done without over working the dough. Turn the dough 12 times. Divide the dough in half.
- Roll the dough into a log that is 2-inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 24 pieces. they will be small, and you will use two per serving.
- Spread them out on two pans. Brush the top generously with butter and sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
- Toss strawberries with the sugar, wine and herbs. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. If they sit for any longer they should be refrigerated.
- Whip the cream just before serving and assemble the strawberry shortcake. Serve immediately.


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Should Parents Use the Internet to Check Up On Their Kids? — Survey of the Day
We're probably at the point where just about every parent with a school-age child has a certain level of Internet sophistication. This means that it is fairly easy for most parents to check up on what their kids are getting into online. But are they?


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amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
December 13, 2007 - On average, adolescents watch three hours of television each day, much of which displays sexual content.[1] According to a recent study conducted by the Rand Corporation, this sexual content—which includes images of sexual behaviors, discussions of sex, or sexual decisions—plays a significant role, both negative and positive, in influencing a young person's sexual behavior and decisions about sex.
Of the 1,100 television shows reviewed in the Rand study, 70 percent included some form of sexual content—68 percent of these included talk about sex and 35 percent displayed sexual behaviors. [2] Of the shows that displayed sexual content among teenage characters, only 23 percent made any reference to sexual risk and responsibilities (e.g., condom use, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV, etc.).[2]
The study found that teenagers who watch television programs with sexual content are more likely to engage in sex at an earlier age. Indeed, teenagers who were exposed to the most sexual content were twice as likely to initiate sexual intercourse within the next year as those who saw the least amount of sexual content.[3] Furthermore, the study found that discussion of sex had the same effect on teenagers as images of sexual behaviors.[3] Based on these findings, television content can have a significant impact on rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs, including HIV.
Despite the negative impact television can have on teenage sexual health, programs that feature topics on sexual risk reduction and safer sex can also serve as a useful educational tool among teenagers. In fact, the study suggests that television shows that incorporated sexual risk and responsibilities into their storylines were likely to help delay sexual debut among African-American youth.[2]
The impact of television on adolescent behavior, decision making, and sexual health are found to be both positive and negative, depending on the content of the program. Considering the findings of the Rand study, it may be important as a parent or guardian to screen your child's television viewing or talk with your child about sexual risk and responsibility.
[1]Collins, Rebecca L., "Sex on Television and Its Impact on American Youth: Background and Results from the RAND Television and Adolescent Sexuality Study," Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 2005. 14: 371-385.
[2]Kaiser Family Foundation, Sex on TV 4, Executive Summary, 2005. Available at: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Sex-on-TV-4-Executive-Summary.pdf.
[3]Rand Corporation, Does Watching Sex on Television Influence Teens' Sexual Activity? 2004. Available at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9068/index1.html.


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If you want to know how likely your HIV patient is to respond to their next HIV drug combination then you've come to the right place.
The HIV Resistance Response Database Initiative (RDI) is a world leader in HIV bioinformatics. We have collected data from over 250,000 HIV patients treated in hundreds of collaborating clinics around the world and use these data to train computational models that predict how likely different combinations of drugs are to suppress your patients virus. These models power the RDI's HIV Treatment Response Prediction System (HIV-TRePS), a free online tool enabling informed, individualised treatment decision-making.
HIV-TRePS - over one million patient-years of treatment experience at the touch of a button.


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You'll notice that I've started off by suggesting several Eyewitness Guides as the most useful books to get.
That's because this website is aimed mainly at people who travel for two to four weeks on organised tours or who choose to organise their own itineraries at a similar level, rather than backpackers who can travel for months (and yes, I've done that too!).
The Eyewitness series is particularly strong visually, with great 3D drawings and useful maps. Although they do have details of restaurants and hotels, the main emphasis is on showing and describing the things you're seeing, with excellent coverage of tourist sights. I've used, for example, Lonely Planet books on many of my travels, but they're not designed to give in depth visual information on tourist sites - partly because of weight requirements!
Eyewitness guides often come with a matching "TopTen" guide. These pick out a top ten recommendations in each field, eg hotels, restaurants, shopping, sights and can be a useful companion or alternative to the bigger guide. On the whole, I've found them reasonably up-to-date (things don't change THAT fast in Europe) and definitely lighter to put in your pocket. Combined with a general country guide this is the way to go for a multi-destination trip.
Some AA (UK Automobile Association) books are almost as good as the Eyewitness ones, possibly better from a driver's point of view, but they are only puchasable in the UK, so to start with I've concentrated on more easily accessible options.
Book a hotel in Europe Book hotels, apartments at discount rates anywhere in Europe.
Book Music/Opera in Brussels
Book a tour City tours, day trips, special attractions tours, all over Europe.
Rent a car Rent or lease a car or campervan for your Europe tour - and a cellphone! Australians click here!
Book Rail Travel Europe has great railways. Get great deals on passes and tickets here
Book Eurostar Travel from London to Paris and the Continent by high speed rail underwater!
Book a European Cruise European cruises from CruiseDirect
Book a flight Use QIXO (US) or Expedia and LastMinute (UK) to search out the cheapest flights on the Net!
Buy a Talking Electronic Translator
International SIM cards Using a cell phone overseas
Travelsignposts Pty Ltd 29/4-8 Kareela Road, Cremorne Point 2090, Australia tel:+61 (2) 9953 4425
This web site copyright 2014 Travelsignposts


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From our first days in Zuccotti Park, people would tell me: "You should be protesting in Washington, not here." But that complaint missed the name and the point of Occupy Wall Street: that the banks have the real power, not the politicians. For its four-month anniversary, OWS effectively put this theory to the test by descending on the nation's capital for the movement's first national gathering since encampments began forming across the country last fall.
Occupy Congress was organized by members of Occupy DC to coincide with the first day of the House's 2012 schedule. The day's events were loosely scheduled around a multi-occupation "general assembly" on the west lawn of the Capitol, visits to the nearby congressional offices, and a march from the Capitol to the Supreme Court to the White House.
Crowds built over day as the rain cleared and the sun came out, but fell short of the 10,000 we'd hoped would come. Among the 2,000 or so who did come were OWS "celebrities" including Sgt. Shamar Thomas, a decorated Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq; retired Capt. Ray Lewis of the Philadelphia Police Department; and live-stream sensations Tim Pool (New York) and Spencer Mills (Oakland). Captain Lewis was briefly detained while he was searched by Capitol Police, then released to cheers from the crowd. At a rally in front of the Rayburn House Office Building, demonstrators ran up the stairs and dropped banners from the balcony.
Although modest compared with many of the larger OWS actions in New York, it was a unique opportunity for many people from smaller cities to feel the energy that comes only from joining thousands of others in the streets.
"I've never seen so many people in the streets like that," said Jordan, who came up from Occupy Charlotte to participate in J17 (the Twitter hashtag marking the day). "That's more people than live in my hometown."
Just as Occupy Wall Street had to balance its status as a national symbol with local concerns as it dealt with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Chief Ray Kelly's aggressive response to our presence and local issues including stop-and-frisk, foreclosures, and homelessness, many in Occupy DC stressed its local goals. "People show up here and think this is national," said Legba, an Occupy DC organizer. "We are D.C. Statehood is a huge issue for us."
Past the message of dissent and dissatisfaction with our elected officials, who so often seem to represent moneyed interests rather than the citizens who elected them, the event was important as a step in Occupy Wall Street's growth into an organization with a national infrastructure. Occupiers came from all parts of the country to congregate in public—a core tenet of OWS—and to meet face to face and begin to connect the dots from the encampments across America.
Those local occupations multiplied and grew because they created a public commons for the many citizens who feel cut off from their government to organize and participate in self-governance, and because the press attention focused on the New York occupation gave the participants and the press the sense that each local moment was part of a much bigger story—lowering the bar for participation and attention. As the encampments expanded, they became magnets for like-minded people and sympathetic or just curious nonactivists. But growing into a true and enduring national movement will happen only as the local occupations connect with each other. Much work remains to develop a grassroots national organization that has the numbers to wield real power.
For many of the New York occupiers I spoke to on Tuesday—and there seemed to be as many of them there as D.C. occupiers—there was an overwhelming sense that the capital was very different from the Apple. Maybe it's that the police are so nice. Or how the D.C. occupiers are generally compliant and abide by the cops' orders. There was no feeling of urgency, no tension.
It felt as if the city was immune to protest—that Washington has professionalized managing dissent.
As I sat in the House gallery yesterday evening, the representatives in the chamber acted as if they didn't notice the occupiers there to protest them, let alone the couple of thousand more protesters outside.
Occupy Wall Street touched a nerve in New York because it pointed to a truth—the banks ripped us off—and tapped that populist rage. But in Washington, the nerve seems to be dead.
All the more indication that we were right to target Wall Street.


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The New York State Historical Association Research Library and The Cooperstown Graduate Program has announced the opening of a new exhibition celebrating the late Milo Stewart's work, entitled Reflections of Home: Photography by Milo Stewart. The exhibition highlights Cooperstown landscapes and portraits taken by Mr. Stewart between 1965-1992. Split into three sections emphasizing Stewart's eye for finding beauty in the ordinary, the exhibition includes quotations from his family and friends reflecting on his work as a teacher, friend, and artist. Reflections of Home opens May 16 and is free to the public.
Developed by second-year Cooperstown Graduate Program students Tramia Jackson, AshleyJahrling, Amanda Manahan, and Jenna Peterson, the exhibit is the culminating project of their Master of History Museum Studies coursework. Guided by Dr. Gretchen Sorin, the students produced the exhibition from concept to installation. "It has definitely been a learning experience," says Jahrling. "But having the support of the program and the Stewart family has helped make this exhibit a wonderfully collaborative effort. We're happy to share it with the greater Cooperstown community."
Milo Stewart discovered his love for photography while growing up in Buffalo, New York. After graduating from Buffalo State University and marrying his high school sweetheart, Ruth, he taught high school English and Social Studies and helped his students incorporate photography in their reports. In 1961, he joined the staff at NYSHA and The Farmers' Museum as an education associate. He went on to become the Director of Education and later the Vice President of NYSHA and The Farmers' Museum. Over the course of twenty years he taught generations of teachers, local historians, and Cooperstown Graduate Program students. At the request of the Director of the New York Council on the Arts, he took on an important project documenting architecture and historic Main Streets throughout New York. He published several exhibition catalogues including Temples of Justice: Historic Churches of New York and At Home and On the Road, a collection of photographs from his travels through New York and abroad.
The exhibition opens May 16, 2012. The public is invited to see the exhibit at the library free of charge. The library's hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Saturday hours are currently 1 to 4 p.m.
Photo: Augur's CornerCooperstown, New York, 1988 by Milo Stewart.


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There's nothing else quite like it. Tonally it jumps from death to laughs, from love to porn, from dull CIA characters to a huge gaping vaginal~like~crevasse in the world. Unique. The finale was certainly something: Oswald Danes screaming his paedophilic fantasies as he bombs to his death; beautiful Jilly and Gwen's tantalisingly erotic bitch~fest; and THAT hole (not to mention Rex's own miracle) all made for a fascinating end.
Sure, it may have been a little stretched and some actors were certainly not as engaging as others (Alexa Havins and Arlene Tur), whilst others could have been given more screen time (Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson and Star Trek's John de Lancie) and certain plot elements seemed to disappear, like The Soulless. But, for me, Torchwood: Miracle Day was remarkable. Not to be taken too seriously (how can you, it's got John Barrowman in it!) but to be simply entertained by and enjoyed. Which I did, immensely.
Here are links to my reviews of all ten episodes:
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This is a bad bunch. Not only bad, but excruciatingly annoying too. Each episode comes with a one minute introduction from John Barrowman and Russell T Davies where both men describe what's coming up. Why? Seriously, why, on a DVD you've bought and are going to watch (presumably) do you need an intro featuring the plea, "Please watch this episode!"??? Bearing in mind, too, that most people who own this will probably have watched most of the episodes anyway.
Do we need a synopsis for a story we've seen or are about to watch? No. Even more annoying is Barrowman's Tonight's The Night style delivery – "Oswald Danes, the man you LOOOVE to hate!" he chimes like a cheap circus barker. But most irritating of all is the fact that these intros are at the start of each episode and you can't just press play and dive into the stories. What were the makers of this DVD thinking?
Well, judging by the rest of the content, it surely was not the fans.
Similarly the two episodes of Torchwood Declassified are nothing but fluff pieces. The first looks at the FX of Miracle Day and, as you may have guessed, features guys in front of their computers explaining how they make the magic happen. Click~click~yawn. The second is a more substantial behind~the~scenes feature but spends a lot of its time (like the first installment) trying to sell the show to the viewer, with cast and crew bashing out superlatives – as if we haven't already seen it or, indeed, bought the bloody box set!
An absolute waste of time and an ill~thought exercise. There are also omissions in terms of contributions from writers (no Jane Espenson, for instance) and cast (no Lauren Ambrose). If you're looking for insight and production comment, then these extras will leave you wanting, though, thankfully, the commentaries re~address this. Accompanying episodes one and ten are audio commentaries from Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner, and what a pair they make.
These two gems outshine everything that has come before and reveal much more about Torchwood than anything else contained here. It's a fascinating listen as Davies reveals that episode eight was "not our finest hour", lamenting production issues. It's a lively conversation with honest debate and much humour, as you would expect, throughout. Unmissable. You can read more about what Russell T Davies says in the audio commentaries HERE.
Filling out the extras are over seven minutes of deleted scenes (though half of it simply features Esther trying to park her car at an airport) and the full 30 minute motion comic, Web of Lies. Both features are unremarkable but, as reference material, it's appropriate that they're included. Disappointingly, there are no trailers or TV spots for those who like their DVD VAMs to be complete.